Automatic weigher.



No. 818,688. PATENTED A3124, 1906.

LR. HARRISON. 8 AUTOMATIC WEIGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1905.

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No. 818,688. a PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. J. R. HARRISON.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1905.

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."rlber UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

JAMES R. HARRISON, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HART GRAIN \VEIGHER 00., OF PEORIA,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed April 20, 1905. Serial No. 256,666.

To alt whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs R. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Weighers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation more particularly to that class of grain-weighing machines in which the grain as it is delivered from the spout of an elevator-tube passes into a bucket or receptacle that is counterpoised upon a scale-beam beneath such spout, the bucket and the elevator-tube spout being provided with movable gates adapted to be alternately opened and closed as the predetermined quantity of grain is delivered to and discharged from the bucket.

The invention has for its object to provide improved mechanism for controlling the movements of the gates whereby the flow of the grain to and from the bucket is controlled; and the invention consists in the features of improvement hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and

of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view on the line b b of Fig. 3.

The elevator-tube 1 may be of any usual or suitable construction, this tube, as shown, consisting of two tubular members, the upper ends of which are connected to the elevatorhead 2, as is well understood in the art. Through the head 2 extends a shaft 3, around which passes a chain carrying the usual elevator buckets or flights, and on the outer end of this shaft 3 is fixed a sprocket-wheel 4, by which motion will be communicated by a sprocket-chain 5 to the mechanism by which will be controlled the gates at the lower end of the elevator-spout 6 and at the bottom of the bucket 7. As shown, the bucket 7 is furnished at its top with the usual bars or bails 8, beneath the seat 9 of which extend the knife edge supports 10, that project outwardly from the yoke shaped steelyardframe 11, that is pivoted upon the knife-edge supports 12 at the sides and adjacent the bottom of the spout 6. The frame 11 has an upwardly-extending arm 13, an extension 14 of which is marked with numbers or graduations and carries the counterbalance-weight 15.

To the elevator-head 2 or its spout 6 is pivotally connected, as at 16, the arms 17 of the spout-gate 18, these arms being arranged to swing the gate 18 away from the mouth of the spout 6 to permit the free discharge of the grain therefrom or to close the mouth of the spout when the flow of grain therefrom is to be interrupted. At one side of one of the arms 17 of the spout-gate an eye or loop 19 is formed in the flange 20, through which passes the upper end of the shifting-rod 21, whereby the lifting of the spout-gate will be effected, this rod 21 being provided with an adjustable collar 23, formed,preferably,with a pointed upper portion 22, adapted to enter a seat or notch in the lower edge of the eye 19. (See Fig. 1.) The lower end of the rod 21 is pivotally connected to the pin 24 of the crank 25, (see Fig. 3,) that is fixed to one end of a transverse shaft 26. The latter extends from side to side of the elevator and is conveniently mounted in a support or hearing 27, bolted to the tubular members of the elevator.

The shaft 26 has loosely mounted thereon at one end a sprocket-wheel 28, that is connected by the sprocket-chain 5 with the sprocket-wheel 4 of the elevator-shaft 3, so that the sprocket-wheel 28 is constantly driven while the elevator-buckets are in op eration. Upon the shaft 26 and at the outer side of the sprocket-wheel 28 is arranged a clutch member comprising a dog orpawl 29, that is adapted to engage a second clutch member comprising teeth 30, formed upon one side of the rim of the sprocket-wheel 28. The dog 29 is provided with a cut-away space 31 to clear or straddle the shaft 26, and one end of the dog is connected to or is formed in piece with a plate-spring 32, the reverse end of which is connected, as at 33, (see Fig. 3,) to an arm or crank 34, extending from a hub 35, that is fixed to the shaft 26. From the hub 35 extends an arm 36, the bifurcated end 37 of which straddles the dog 29, the dog being free to move in the space at the bifurcated end of the arm 36. The spring 32 serves to normally force the dog 29 toward the teeth 30, with which the dog will engage when revolution is to be imparted from the constantlydriven sprocket-wheel 28 to the intermittently-driven shaft 26. By reference more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the free end of the dog 29 projects beyond the rim of the sprocketwheel 28 and into position to be engaged by a check-arm 38, that is mounted upon a rockshaft 39, suitably sustained on the elevatortube, and this check-arm is connected by one of the arms 40, extending to lugs 41 at the bottom of the weigher-bucket 7. The upper end of the check-arm 38 is provided with an inclined cam or releasing-face 42, at the base of which is a stop-shoulder or offset 43, with which the dog 29 will contact.

The arm or crank 34 has a pin 44, to which is pivotally connected one end of a rod 45, whereby will be effected the shifting of the gate 46, that controls the discharge of the grain from the weigher-bucket 7. The gate 46 is preferably a swinging gate and, as shown, has V-shaped supporting-arms that extend outside of the bucket 7 and are pivoted thereto, as at 47. The rod 45 is connected to one of the arms 48 of the gate 46, as at 49. (See Fig. 2.)

From the foregoing description the operation will be seen to be as follows: When the parts are in the relative positions shown in the drawings, grain will be delivered from the elevator by the spout 6 into the weigherbucket 7. At such time the sprocket-wheel 28 will be revolved from the shaft at the top of the elevator; but the transverse shaft 26 will be stationary, because at such time the dog 29 will have been moved by the inclined surface 42 of the check-arm out of engagement with the teeth 30 on the rim of the sprocket-wheel 28 and will be in engagement with the stop or shoulder 43 of the checkarm. As soon, however, as sufficient grain has accumulated in the bucket 7 to overcome the weight 15 the bucket 7 will descend, and will thereby cause the arm 40 to rock on shaft 39 and to swing the check-arm 38 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, until the stop or shoulder 43 of the check-arm passes from engagement with the end of the pawl 29. The spring 32 will then cause the pawl 29 to engage with one of the teeth 30 on the rim of the sprocket-wheel 28, thus locking the pawl 29, and consequently the shaft 26, to the sprocket-wheel and causing the shaft 26 and the parts connected therewith to be driven by such wheel. As the sprocket-wheel continues its revolution, carrying with it the shaft 26, the arm of crank 34 on one end and the crank 25 on the other end of the shaft will be turned, thereby permitting the gate 18 to descend and close the spout 6 and causing the gate 46 to be swung away from the bottom of the bucket 7. Hence it will be seen that as the bucket descends under the predetermined weight of grain therein further flow of grain from the spout 6 will be interrupted, while the grain within the bucket will be discharged therefrom as the gate 46 is swung open. As soon, however, as the bucket 7 is freed from its weight of grain the bucket will rise and will cause the check-arm 38 to return to the position shown in the drawings, and when the check-arm is in such position the pawl 29 as it is carried around by the sprocket-wheel 28 will contact with the inclined or releasing face 42 of the check-arm, and riding down such face will be forced from engagement with the teeth 30 at the side of the sprocket-wheel and will contact with the stop or shoulder 43 of the check-arm. The revolution of the shaft 26 will thereupon be arrested and the shaft will remain idle, with the gate 18 open and the gate 46 closed, until the bucket again descends and releases the check-arm 38 from engagement with the pawl 29.

My present invention provides for the use of the arm 34 as a crank to operate the gate of the weigher-bucket, and thus renders it unnecessaryto employ a double crank at the opposite end of the shaft 26, as in Letters Patent No. 720,248, Serial No. 82,091, for which I made application November 13, 1901, and which were issued on the 10th day of February, 1903, to the Hart Grain I/Veigher Co., myassignee by mesne assignments.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an automatic weigher, the combination with an elevator delivery-spout and a weigher-bucket, each having a control-gate, of a shaft extending from side to side of the elevator, clutch mechanism for intermittently operating the said shaft, an inclined releasing face actuated by the weigherbucket for disengaging the clutch mechanism, a stop, means on one side of the elevator operated by the shaft for actuating the spoutgate and means on the other side of the ele vator operated by the shaft for actuating the bucket-gate.

2. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery spout and weigherbucket, each having a controlled gate of a shaft extending from side to side of the elevator, a constantly-driven clutch member, a second clutch member movable axially of the shaft and adapted to engage the constantlydriven clutch member, a trip pivotally related to the Weigher-bucket for controlling the said clutch mechanism, means on one side of the elevator, operated by the shaft for controlling the movement of the spout-gate and means, on the other side of the elevator, operated by the shaft for controlling the movement of the bucket-gate.

3. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and a weigherbucket, each having a controlgate, of a shaft, clutch mechanism for intermittently operating said shaft, an inclined trip for disengaging the clutch mechanism, a projecting part of the clutch mechanism on the shaft adapted to operate one of the aforesaid control-gates and means on said shaft for operating the other control-gate.

4. In an automatic weigher, the combination of a delivery-spout having a controlgate and a weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for operating said gates comprising a shaft extending from side to side of the elevator, a constantlydriven clutch member loosely mounted on said shaft, a second clutch member movable axially of the shaft and adapted to engage the constantly-driven clutch member, a stop and inclined releasing-face actuated by the weigher-bucket for controlling the said clutch mechanism, a rod, on one side of the elevator, operated by the shaft for controlling the gate of the delivery-spout and a rod, on the other side of the elevator, operated by the shaft for controlling the gate of the weigher-bucket.

5. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and a weigherbucket, each having a control-gate, of a shaft, a constantly-driven clutch member loosely mounted on said shaft, a second clutch member movable lengthwise of the shaft and adapted to engage the constantly driven clutch member, a projecting portion of the clutch mechanism, adapted through intermediate means to operate one of the aforesaid control-gates, and means on the shaft for operating the other control-gate.

6. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and a weigherbucket each having a control-gate, of a shaft, a constantly-driven clutch member loosely mounted on said shaft, a springactuated clutch member movable lengthwise of the shaft and adapted to engage the constantlydriven clutch member, means for controlling the clutch mechanism, a holder for the spring of the aforesaid spring-actuated clutch member suitably connected to actuate one of the aforesaid control-gates and means for actuating the other control-gate.

7. In an automatic weigher, the combination of a delivery-spout having a control-gate and a wigher-bucket having a movable gage at its bottom, of mechanism for operating said gates comprising a shaft extending from side to side of the elevator, a constantlydriven clutch member on the shaft, a clutch member movable axially of said shaft and adapted to engage the constantly driven clutch member on said shaft, a stop and inclined releasing-face actuated by the weigherbucket, for gradually releasing and holding the clutch mechanism from engagement, op-

positely-disposed parts on said shaft, one on each side of the elevator, and rods operated by said oppositely-disposed parts for actuating the gates of the delivery spout and weigher-bucket respectively for the purposes specified.

8,. In an automatic weigher, the combination of a delivery-spout having a,control-gate and a Weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom of mechanism for operating said gate, comprising a shaft extending from side to side of the elevator, a constantlydriven clutch member on the shaft a clutch member movable axially of said shaft, and adapted to engage the constantly-driven clutch member on said shaft, a stop and iiiclined releasing-face actuated by the weigherbucket for gradually releasing and holding the clutch mechanism from engagement, oppositely-disposed parts or extensions on said shaft, one on each side of the elevator, and means provided and suitably supported, operated by the said oppositely-disposed parts or extensions on the shaft, one to operate the gate of the delivery-spout and the other to operate the gate of the weigher-bucket respectively for the purposes specified.

9. In an automatic Weigher, the combination with an elevator delivery-spout and a weigher-bucket, each having a control-gate, of a shaft extending from side to side of the elevator, clutch mechanism for intermittently operating said shaft, an inclined releasing member actuated by the weigher-bucket for disengaging the clutch mechanism, means for holding the shaft in its normal inoperative position, means on one side of the elevator operated by the shaft for actuating the spout gate and means on the other side of the elevator operated by the shaft for actuating the bucket-gate.

10. In an automatic weigher, the combination with an elevator delivery-spout and a Weigher-bucket, each having a control-gate, of a shaft extending from side to side of the elevator, a constantly-driven clutch member loose on said shaft, a second clutch member movable lengthwise of said shaft, a trip pivotally related to the Weigher-bucket for operating the clutch mechanism by the movement thereof, means for holding the shaft in its normal inoperative position, means on one side of the elevator operated by the shaft for actuating the gate of the elevator-spout and means on the other side of the elevator operated by the shaft for actuating the gate of the Weigher-bucket.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. HARRISON.

VRIEs, WV. 13,, WILDE. 

